NEWS DESK
Cottage garden choice for spring opening OPEN Gardens Victoria will launch its spring season at Rick Eckersley’s Musk Cottage garden at Flinders. “The four-hectare property has been a pet project of Rick Eckersley and the Eckersley Garden Architecture design team for the past 10 years,” the head of Open Gardens Victoria Liz Fazio said. “The result is a garden that ignores the latest fashion trends, is tough and sustainable and feels uniquely Australian.” Musk Cottage will be open over the weekend 1 and 2 September. “It may be one of the last opportunities to see the garden as there are plans to sell the property,” Ms Fazio said. “The palette of plants is not restricted to native or indigenous. Instead, plants from around the world have been knitted together to create a rich textural landscape of imaginative plant combinations. “Colours in bark and leaves as well as flowers meld the garden together. Greys, olive greens, browns and brindles make up the base colours and give the garden its unmistakably Australian flavour. “In early spring, there is a vibrant pop of colour where a mass planting of the forest lily (Veltheimia bracteata) emerges with pink torch-like
Ulysses crew to rally at Mornington A MOTORCYCLE club claiming to be one of the largest social clubs in Australia is coming to Mornington early next year. The Ulysses Club, for riders aged over 40, will hold its national rally at Mornington Racecourse, Monday 25 February to Sunday 3 March The seven-day rally is likely to attract 2000-2500 motorcycle enthusiasts from Australia and overseas. Members will be riding their motorcycles, scooters and trikes, and there will also be around 100-150 RVs for those members who will take the opportunity to have an extended travelling holiday. The public can attend an open day and trade show, 10am-9pm, Thursday 28 February, at the racecourse with motorcycle manufacturers and their latest bikes and trade stalls. Entry is $15 adult, $5 for those under 16 and $35 a family of two adults, two children under 16 years. The motorcycles will be on show during the grand parade through Mornington 9-10am, Saturday 2 March. The club is hoping residents will line the route and wave as motorcyclists ride past.
THE boardwalk at Musk Cottage, Flinders. Picture: Annabel Reid
this a wonderful garden for strolling and exploring. There are generous lawns to relax and picnic on and numerous intimate spaces to sit and contemplate different garden views,” she said. Coffee, refreshments, produce and plant sales will be available, with proceeds going to support Global
flowers beside a curved path.” Ms Fazio other highlights in the cottage’s garden included a grid of black-trunked ironbark eucalyptus under planted by wave-pruned Tuscany privet, and a boardwalk across wetlands. “Winding paths dotted with unexpected garden art and sculpture make
Gardens of Peace – an Australian charity that aims to plan, design and deliver gardens to support vulnerable communities around the world. Musk Cottage, 371 Musk Creek Road, Flinders, 10am-4.30pm Saturday 1 September and Sunday 2 September, adults $10 (children under-18 free), students $5.
‘Gifts’ good for networking – mayor TICKETS and invitations for council officers and councillors to attend sporting events are a “perfect example” of the type of “gift” that can benefit Mornington Peninsula Shire, according to the mayor Cr Bryan Payne. “It’s amazing who you meet in these super boxes,” Cr Payne said. He said sporting events “in particular … break down all barriers” and help forge beneficial networks. Cr Payne said he had no problems with the shire’s CEO Carl Cowie accepting two $300 tickets from recruitment firm McArthur to a corporate box at an AFL game in May. The shire’s gifts, benefits and hospitality register shows Mr Cowie accepted finals tickets from McArthur in September 2016. McArthur was this month hired by council to find suitable candidates for the shire’s top job, which has a pack-
age of about $400,000. Cr Payne said he had “noted” Mr Cowie’s entry in the gifts register and brought it to the attention of other councillors and the consultant from McArthur working for the shire. “That consultant [head of executive search Nick Kelly] was not at that event,” Cr Payne said. Cr Payne said he had “no problem” with shire officers accepting gifts “as long as they’re disclosed - if they’re not disclosed, we have a problem”. He said there were many benefits for shire staff to network with government staff and company representatives. The mayor has previously criticised Mr Cowie’s reluctance to declare a Mediterranean cruise taken by he and his wife aboard a luxury liner hired by prominent businessman and shire property owner, Lindsay Fox. Mr Cowie eventually listed the cruise in the register in March, putting the “estimated value of gift” at $8400 (“CEO adds cruise to gifts list” The News 23/4/18).
Cr Payne said that he would not have accepted such an invitation during his days as a municipal CEO. On Friday, Mr Cowie said it was appropriate for shire officers to accept invitations from private firms “where hospitality provides an opportunity to undertake business of a common purpose”. Invitations were not accepted if they “have potential implications for council’s reputation or image or may cause an actual or perceived conflict of interest”. The gifts, benefits and hospitality register is available for public scrutiny, but only at the shire’s Rosebud office during business hours (“Opening the books on shire’s gifts” The News 5/2/18). An appointment must be made to see the register and the inspection time is limited to 15 minutes. No photocopies or photographs are allowed to be taken of the register and a council officer is present while the register is being looked at.
Councillors and shire officers who have made declarations in the register are told that the register has been inspected and can see who has made the inspection. As previously reported by The News, gifts declared in the register range from a $2 necklace from the Friends of Los Palos group to Mr Cowie’s Mediterranean Cruise (“Airfares, AFL, wine olive oil and chocolates on shire’s gifts list” 26/3/18). Mr Cowie and the shire’s corporate counsel David Carrington have also accepted tickets to the Australian Open tennis. Mr Cowie went courtesy of Optus and Mr Carrington was a guest of recruitment firm, Taylor Root. Mr Cowie passed on two $200 tickets to a Cricket Victoria function at the MCG to other council officers. The gifts register is audited each year by the Victorian Auditor General’s Office with the results being passed on to council’s risk and audit committee, but not made public (“Calls for ‘open’ shire gifts register” The News 22/1/18).
The Gifts, Benefits and Hospitality Policy states: “Gifts, benefits and hospitality received must not create a real or perceived sense of obligation that may lead to a perception of preference or conflict. “Councillors and council staff are to ensure that attendance at private functions does not have potential implications for council’s reputation or image or may cause an actual or perceived conflict of interest.” Mr Cowie said shire officers “in consultation with their manager, consider each invitation on its merits and make appropriate decisions consistent with the shire’s gifts policy”. “Mornington Peninsula Shire goes beyond the minimum transparency requirements and makes the gifts register available for public inspection,” he said. “All shire officers clearly understand their obligations to avoid conflicts of interest and do not accept invitations that may give rise to any conflict of interest.”
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Keith Platt keith@mpnews.com.au
2415 Point Nepean Road, Rye Beach www.ryehotel.com.au | 5985 2277
Southern Peninsula News 21 August 2018
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